Fundamental Truth

Free Speech can be an Instrument of Change

Before there was a Nazi Germany there was a German republic. The Weimar Republic. Where people were free to say anything they wanted to. In fact, it was that freedom of speech that allowed Adolf Hitler to rise to power. Who then took that freedom of speech he used away from everyone else. Pumped out state propaganda (i.e., lies). And did horrible things to people. Including to his fellow Germans who dared to speak freely.

Free speech can be an instrument of change. Hitler knew that. And used it. But knowing what an instrument of change speaking freely can be he banned free speech after he effected change with it. And then started the lying. Joseph Goebbels, the head of state propaganda, lied and he lied big. Saying that if the people heard a lie enough they would believe it. Especially a big lie.

Germans are not evil people. But they did vote for members of the Nazi Party. Of course, when they were voting for members of the Nazi Party it wasn’t the Nazi Party of the Holocaust. No. It was a much kinder and gentler Nazi Party. A party for the workers. And the people. For the Nazi Party was the National Socialist German Workers’ Party. It was nothing more than big government taking care of the people. At least, that was the lie. And the people fell for it. Giving us one of the darkest chapters in world history.

The Natural State of Life for people throughout History has been one of Oppression

As Nazi power expanded free speech withered and died. The free press became an arm of the state. Telling the people only what the state wanted the people to hear. Not what the people wanted to know. The truth. No. Instead, all the people got were lies. To advance the state’s agenda. And to squelch any discontent of the state. For the few who dared to speak up or criticize the state the Gestapo (the state police) was there to arrest, torture, imprison or kill them.

This is why truth is so important to a free people. And why it’s such a threat to an oppressive state. For the governed far exceed those who govern. So the only way a minority power can rise to a dictatorship is by cowing the people through fear and intimidation. Keeping them blissfully ignorant of the truth. And feeding them nothing but lies via the state propaganda machine. Something a free press makes difficult to do. Which is why a dictatorship shuts down free speech.

This is something as old as time. For the natural state of life for people throughout history has been one of oppression. Something our Founding Fathers were very aware of being gentlemen of the Enlightenment. And students of history. Which is why they gave us the First Amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

And a big part of the First Amendment is protection of the truth by the guardians of the truth. A free press.

The Complicit and Corrupt Media supports a Political Agenda instead of being Guardians of the Truth

The free press brought Watergate to the attention of the American people. And caused President Nixon to resign. Because of the cover-up. Not the crime. When Oliver North traded arms for hostages during the Reagan administration the free press was all over that. Irangate. A play on Watergate. And when news surfaced that the Bush family pressured the military to improve President George W. Bush’s Air National Guard service record during the 2004 presidential campaign they were all over that, too. But it turned out that this was a lie. And we now know this as Memogate. For the documents that CBS said proved this were obvious forgeries.

In other words, the media lied during the 2004 presidential campaign. To harm President Bush’s reelection chances. Making the media less of a free press and more an arm of the Democrat Party. A propaganda machine. For the mainstream media these days is less about the truth and more about Democrat propaganda. As the Obama administration has had a flurry of scandals that gets scant coverage in the free press. The IRS targeting of conservatives. Benghazi. Spying on the Associated Press. Accusing journalist James Rosen of being a criminal for reporting unflattering news leaked to him (referred to as Rosengate). Fast and Furious. The lies, misinformation and backroom deals to pass Obamacare into law. Etc.

The legacy of the Obama administration will not be the scandals. But the complicit and corrupt media. A media that was derelict in its duty to safeguard the truth. Instead choosing to disseminate lies. And ignoring news that is unfavorable to the Obama administration. Should this nation stop being exceptional. And become ordinary. Like the history before us where the natural state of life was one of oppression. It won’t be the emerging dictatorship to blame. It will be the complicit and corrupt media that allowed it to happen. By choosing lies over truth. And supporting a political agenda instead of being guardians of the truth.

Fundamental truth

Our Veterans have been Wounded and Maimed and we thank them for their Service with the VA

Where do the rich and famous go when they go to a hospital? They can afford the best. So you will hear hospitals like Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, Mount Sinai, etc. The crème de la crème of the best health care system in the world. But one name you won’t hear? Any VA hospital.

Rich and famous people have something our veterans don’t. Choice. They can choose to go to the crème de la crème of the best health care system in the world. While our veterans have no choice but to go to the dregs of the best health care system in the world. Very often the worst place you can go in the United States for health care.

It’s sad, really. For our veterans have given more than any other American. They have put themselves in harm’s way. Had people shoot at them. Lob hand grenades at them. Had mortar rounds and artillery rounds land near them. And had improvised explosive devices (IED) detonate around them. Our veterans have been wounded and maimed and faced the hell of combat. And our thanks for their volunteering to do this for us? The VA.

Our VA Hospitals are so bad because they know our Military will be good Soldiers and Wait

There aren’t a lot of VA hospitals around. So some veterans have to travel to get to one. And when they get there they have to wait. As there are a lot of other veterans in the waiting room with them. Because there aren’t a lot of VA hospitals around. But that’s not the only waiting they’re going to do.

If they need surgery or treatment there will be even more waiting. A lot more waiting. Because there aren’t a lot of VA hospitals around. Or a lot of VA health care providers. Or a lot of VA diagnostic equipment. Which means they have to ration out health care in our VA hospitals. And when you ration health care you make people wait longer for treatment. An alien concept for the rich and famous. Who get what they want when they want it. Because they have choice.

Our veterans, on the other hand, continue to be good soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen. And wait. Just like the old military joke to ‘hurry up and wait’. Where they will get up before dawn to wait on the tarmac for 4 hours to board an aircraft. So we’ve trained our military personnel well in waiting. Perhaps this why our VA hospitals are so bad. Because they know our military will be good soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen. And wait.

VA Hospitals are run so poorly that Veterans are dying as they wait for this National Health Care

The sad thing is that some of our veterans are waiting so long that they are dying (see A fatal wait: Veterans languish and die on a VA hospital’s secret list by Scott Bronstein and Drew Griffin posted 4/24/2014 on CNN). Because rationing leads to longer wait times. And longer wait times lead to more deaths. And this is why the VA hospitals (America’s national health care) are the dregs of the best health care system in the world.

The American left wants national health care. They want VA hospitals for everyone. Except them, of course. For they will be going to the hospitals the rich and famous go to. But it’s VA hospitals for the rest of us. Where they will ration health care. Increase wait times. And provide some of the most inefficient health care service. Another reason veterans have to wait so long is that the VA still uses paper records. Like they did before the 1970s.

The left settled for Obamacare. They wanted national health care but accepted Obamacare as a stepping stone to national health care. For they think the government can run health care better than the private sector. Even though they’ve been running the VA for decades without ever modernizing it. The government runs the VA hospitals so inefficiently that veterans are dying as they wait for this rationed national health care. But these same people who can’t bring the VA into the 20th century say they can improve the crème de la crème of the best health care system in the world. But if they do the VA poorly they will do all national health care poorly. Because the government just can’t do anything well.

Fundamental Truth

The tariff was the funding source for most of government for about a century.

Once upon a time there was no federal income tax. No estate tax. No gift tax. No payroll tax. No capital gains tax. And no corporate tax. Taxes we take for granted today didn’t exist a century or so ago. The country was a lot leaner back then. People kept most of their money. And took care of their families.

The federal government used to fund everything thing they did with tariffs. A tax on imports. Paid in ports. As ships unloaded their goods. Far away from most people. And few people complained. Our first excise tax was a different story. A 7 cent per gallon of whiskey incited the Whiskey Rebellion. After fighting the Revolutionary War to escape the oppressive taxation policies of Great Britain the people were in no mood for a new tax. The whiskey tax lasted for about a decade. Then they repealed it.

This left tariffs as the funding source for most of government for about a century. But even that grew controversial. And began the divisions between North and South. The North protected its industry with protective tariffs on iron products, textiles (wool and cotton) and agricultural goods. Shipped from the more industrialized Britain. Which Britain responded to with tariffs of their own. On cotton and other agricultural products grown in the South. So the more the North protected their industries the more difficult it made for the South to export their raw goods.

In 1913 the progressives reintroduced the income tax and taxed the rich at 1%.

This wasn’t the only difference of opinion the North and South had. And their differences resulted in war. The North was able to win the American Civil War with its expansive industry. But the war devastated the country. Especially the South. Which lost about 8.6% of her population. To get an idea of what an 8.6% population decline is consider this. That percentage of the current U.S. population is approximately 27 million. So the losses the South suffered were similar to what the Soviets lost on the Eastern Front during World War II.

The South may have lost more of its population. But the North suffered nearly the same number of war dead. She just had a larger population to begin with. To run all of that industry that won the war. America’s first modern war was a costly one. And one that President Lincoln had to turn to a new source of revenue. The federal income tax. Which taxed the rich. At 3%. Then it taxed the super rich at 5%. But after they paid down the war debt they repealed America’s first income tax.

Then came the progressives. And their taxes. In 1913 they reintroduced an income tax. Taxing the rich at 1%. And the super rich at 6%. To fund an expanding federal government. Then came World War I. To fund the war they increased the tax rate on the rich to 15%. And the super rich at 77%. The top marginal rate fell during the Twenties. But FDR raised it back up during the Great Depression. Until it reached 94%. Where for every dollar they earned in and above the top income bracket they got to keep only 6 cents.

Few would be able to write a check on tax day to pay their full tax bill.

Then came all the other taxes. And they just kept coming. Our tax bill grew to staggering amounts. Which posed a problem for the taxing authorities. As people just didn’t keep that kind of money around. They worked. They raised their families. And what little they had left they put into the bank for their retirement. Making it very difficult for them to pay their tax bill when it came. Especially when it was 30% or more of their entire income. So what to do?

The Founding Fathers created a nation out of a tax rebellion. And then when that nation levied its first excise tax they got a little rebellion of their own. Being opposed to taxes is part of the American DNA. So the taxing authorities had to somehow hide the large amount of taxes we were paying. That is, they had to reduce the transparency of these taxes. For if you don’t know what you’re paying in taxes you really can’t get mad at paying high taxes.

Enter the withholding tax. The greatest sin government ever perpetrated against the people. For it takes our money before we ever get it. Conditioning us to accept ‘net’ pay as the norm. And making ‘gross’ pay some meaningless payroll jargon. Because you can’t spend ‘gross’ pay. You can only spend ‘net’ pay. Which is the only pay people care about. Making it not only easier to hide the soaring amount of taxes people were paying. But because it’s so easy to hide what we’re paying they could raise those taxes to confiscatory heights. Because we never have that money in our hands. We never see it. It goes from our employer to the taxing authorities. Which is the only way they could collect these soaring amounts. For few would be able to write a check on tax day to pay their full tax bill. As people just don’t keep that kind of money around.

Fundamental Truth

Thomas Jefferson wanted to keep the New Federal Government and Money Apart

Thomas Jefferson did not trust government. And he didn’t trust moneyed men. Because when the two come together they cause nothing but trouble. That’s why he hated and distrusted Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton wanted a strong central government. A central bank. And an economic system favoring merchants and bankers. With big city moneyed men financing the government in return for special favors.

This is why the nation’s capital isn’t in New York City. It once was. But one of the first deals the Hamilton and Jefferson camps made was the relocation of the nation’s capital to a mosquito-infested swamp on the Potomac River. A long, long way from the moneyed men in New York City. To try to keep the new federal government and money apart. To restrict the influence of the moneyed men on the government. And to prevent the government from having easy access to big money.

Why did Jefferson want to do this? Well, they fought for their independence from Great Britain. Which was a constitutional monarchy. Where some in Parliament were no friends of British America. And got the king to agree with them rather than the pro-British America faction in Parliament. Ironically, the Americans got help in their War of Independence from France. Which had an absolute monarchy. Whose king ruled with no check on his power. Both governments were in the big cities. London. And Paris. Where the moneyed men were. In the big cities. Allowing these monarchies to do a whole lot of mischief all around the world. And a fair amount of mischief inside their own countries. Because the money and the government were in the same city.

Government + Money = Corruption

Great Britain and France were forever at war with each other. And with other countries. Requiring a lot of money. Which they got from the moneyed men. In return for special privileges that allowed them to get ever richer. Of course the mischief grew greater as they fought a world war or two. Requiring ever more money. Which they got from, of course, taxing the rest of the people. Even those who could little afford it. And once this starts, once the government starts accumulating debt, that taxation will only get greater.

This is what Jefferson was worried about. And why he so distrusted Hamilton. The Founding Fathers were all gentlemen of the Enlightenment. Disinterested public servants. Honorable men who would never take advantage of their position in government for personal gain. Because for these men honor was everything. Some even fought duels to protect their honor. As Hamilton did. And died. Washington, Adams, Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison, Jay and Franklin were men of exceptional integrity. Men who could be trusted. But here is where Hamilton and Jefferson differed. Hamilton believed only men like them would ever enter government. While Jefferson believed that government service would one day attract mostly scoundrels and knaves.

Of course, Jefferson was right. For as the nation grew so did the size of government. And the need for great big piles of money. Which the moneyed men provided. In exchange for special privileges. Patronage. Lucrative government contracts. Etc. Big piles of money flowed into Washington. And favors flowed out from Washington. With many a politician getting rich in the process of getting rich moneyed men richer. Politicians who used their position in government for personal gain. Corrupted politicians. As government + money = corruption. Which is why politicians always leave office richer than when they entered office.

Power + Corruption = Tyranny

This is how it started. As the size of government grew corruption grew. Just as Jefferson feared. All that money flowing into Washington corrupted ever more politicians. Who were not gentlemen of the Enlightenment. But the scoundrels and knaves Jefferson knew would come. Who used their position in government for personal gain. Whose corruption grew so great it exploded federal spending. So great that taxes from the moneyed men AND the middle class were unable to fund it. So the taxation grew more aggressive.

The government created by the Founding Fathers had no income taxes. They funded the few things the new national government did with tariffs for the most part. People lived from day to day without any fear of the taxman. The United States even did away with debtors’ prison. Prison where people were sent who could not pay their debts. A relic of the 19th century. Sort of. For there is one debt people can still go to prison for not paying. Past-due taxes. For the IRS can take everything you have and imprison you if you don’t pay your taxes. And those taxes have grown great as of late. As the tax code has grown convoluted. Requiring businesses to hire armies of accountants and lawyers to comply with. So the government can help the moneyed men who help the government. In return for special privileges, of course. Leaving the masses dreading April 15. As they dread opening any letter from the IRS.

If you want to know what it was like living under an absolute monarchy just think of the IRS. People fear the IRS. Just as people feared the arbitrary power of an absolute monarchy. A king could take your property and lock you away. Just like the IRS. And if you spoke out against the monarchy the king could make your life really unpleasant. Just like the IRS. During the 2012 election the IRS targeted conservative political groups to stifle their free speech. Delayed their tax-exempt status approval. And harassed them with costly tax audits. And now their tyranny has extended to people in the middle class. Who unbeknownst to them had a family member owe the federal government. Years earlier. Even a generation earlier. And the IRS is arbitrarily seizing the tax refunds from these debtors’ distant relatives to pay these debts. Even though they are in no way responsible for these debts. And the government has no documentation for this debt. Doesn’t matter. Because they have the power to do this. And these people are powerless to stop them. Just like people living under an absolute monarchy were powerless to stop their king from doing anything to them. And this is what Jefferson feared. For after corruption comes tyranny. For power + corruption = tyranny. (Just look at every tin-pot dictator that has oppressed his people). Which is why people fear the IRS. And the federal government the IRS is beholden to. Because they have become everything Jefferson feared they would.

Fundamental Truth

The CEO of Mozilla resigned for Thinking ‘Incorrectly’

In 2008, Brendan Eich donated $1,000 to support California Proposition 8. A proposal to keep marriage in California between only a man and a woman. Proposition 8 passed as most Californians agreed with Brendan Eich. They did not want to change law, tradition and custom. The left has determined that the people of California are hate-filled people. And liberal judges have since overruled the will of the people of California.

So who is Brendan Eich? Until recently he was the CEO of Mozilla. The company that puts out the internet browser Firefox. He rose to CEO this year. He cofounded Mozilla Foundation in 1998. So he’s been there for awhile. And did good work. To rise to CEO you have to be pretty darn good. And you can’t be a monster. For if you are a monster the odds are slim of becoming CEO. For it tends to garner bad press.

Well, as it turns out, exercising your free speech can make you a monster. A hate-filled individual. Which the left said he was. Because of this $1,000 donation. Just because he thought like the majority of all Californians. That marriage should be between a man and a woman. And because he did the left demanded his resignation for daring not to think ‘correctly’ like them. So he did. He resigned for thinking ‘incorrectly’.

Conservatives were not Welcomed at a Feminist Conference on Inclusivity

This is not the only ‘thought crime’ the left has leveled at someone. For anyone that dares to think differently from them they call a thought criminal. And do everything in their power to silence them. For the ‘tolerant’ left is very intolerant of anyone that thinks differently from them. Because the left hates dissenting views. Especially those of conservatives. As there are about two conservatives for every liberal they face a lot of dissenting views. So they have a lot of ‘thought crime’ to police.

Universities are mostly liberal these days. And whenever a conservative is invited to speak the thought police come out. They protest. They heckle. They throw pies. Just ask Ann Coulter. Even when conservatives are invited back to their alma maters to give a commencement speech the thought police turn out to keep them from speaking. Just ask Dr. Ben Carson. Or Condoleezza Rice.

Feminists on university campuses are particularly intolerant to other points of view. Even at a feminist conference about inclusivity. Everyone was welcomed. Except conservative women. In fact, the feminists at this conference identified a woman as being a conservative. Telling the students gathering there that they shouldn’t talk to her. Because conservatives were not welcomed at this conference on inclusivity. Just ask Katherine Timpf.

It’s hard to Pass your Agenda when you’re Outnumbered Two to One

Liberals have long wanted to revive the fairness doctrine. For the one area they can’t control is talk radio. And they don’t like what they’re saying on talk radio. So they want to shut them up. To balance the content broadcasted over the public airwaves. As determined by the Federal Communications Commission. Which could, of course, find that 3 hours of Rush Limbaugh a day is not balanced. And require that he give up an hour or two of his time for an opposing viewpoint. Hence the moniker the ‘Hush Rush Bill‘.

The left has been warning us about the calamity of global warming for the last three decades or so. Telling us if we don’t act now the world will end within the decade. But the people aren’t quaking with fear. Some are even debunking their ‘science’. With real science. Something the left does not like. And they want to do something about. They want to shut them up. Some even want to jail them.

Conservatives don’t do this. They don’t call for boycotts or resignations when people exercise their right to free speech. They don’t throw pies at people. They don’t pressure universities to shut down debate by preventing someone from speaking that disagrees with them. They don’t warn young women that someone ‘thinks wrong’. That they shouldn’t talk to ‘wrong thinkers’. They don’t try to balance the content in the liberal-dominated media. And they don’t put politics over science. Liberals do. But conservatives don’t.

There have been some in history that put politics above everything else. Just like liberals do. People who punished those who said the wrong things. And punished those for thinking wrong. They had state censorship. Propaganda. And jail for those who weren’t like them. Or worse. Things the left would love to do to stifle all debate. Because it’s hard to pass your agenda when you’re outnumbered two to one. So who are these people from history? Nazis. And communists. Yes, liberals are about as open-minded and tolerant as Nazis and communists were.

Fundamental Truth

Children only care about the Here and Now and Instant Gratification

“Mom, can I eat this whole birthday cake?” “No.” “Dad, can I stay up past my bed time?” “No.” “Mom, can I go out and play instead of cleaning my room?” “No.” “Dad, can I skip my homework and play football with the guys?” “No.” “Mom, can I go to the concert with Billy and his big brother?” “No.” “Dad, can I use your table saw?” “No.” “Mom, will you buy me this micro dress for the dance?” “No.” “Dad, can I borrow the car this Friday to drive to a party?” “No.” “Mom, can I have boys in my bedroom?” “Hell no.” “Dad, can I have $50?” “For what?” “Stuff?” “What kind of stuff?” “You know, stuff.” “Oh, in that case, no.”

“No.” It is the most important word in a parent’s vocabulary. For kids want to do a lot of things that aren’t good for them. Things that will get them into trouble. Things that might hurt them. Things that may leave them with unpleasant and/or long-lasting consequences. Parents have to say ‘no’ because kids just don’t know any better. They only think about the here and now. Not about the future. They want instant gratification. They want to have fun. They don’t want to wait. They don’t want to work. And the last thing they want to do is to delay gratification.

So parents have to keep saying ‘no’ for their children’s own good. At least, responsible parents do. Because parents are older and wiser than their children. Contrary to popular belief children have about their parents. Children like to say that their parents “don’t know anything.” But they do. In fact, they know a lot. Because they were once impulsive children having the same arguments with their parents. And now that they are parents they see the world differently than they did as children. They see it as their parents saw it. And realize that their parents were right all along. Thanks to a lot more education, a lot more work experience and a lot more life experience. The things that makes one wiser as one gets older.

Children who never Grow Up as Adults tend to Remain Liberal and Vote Democrat

Children that grow up into responsible adults tend to be more conservative. They get jobs. Straight out of high school. Or after college. And party less. They cut back on reckless behavior. Such as drinking and driving. Because they realized they could get a DUI. They could hurt themselves. Or, worse, hurt someone else. If they used drugs they cut back. Some stop using them completely. They stop having casual sex with random people. In part to avoid an STD. In part because they want something more than just a good time. So they, instead, get married. And settle down. Raise a family. And it’s about this time that these one-time wild liberals start voting Republican. As they see there is a lot more to life than partying with booze and drugs. And having sex. Especially when they become parents.

Becoming a parent changes a person. Single coworkers may still want to go out and get a drink after work. They may look forward to the weekend so they can drink themselves into a stupor. But not a married person. At least, not a married responsible grownup. They want to go straight home to their wife. Or husband. They want to spend time with their kids. And they don’t want to do anything that could harm their kids. Like risking their job by coming in late hung over after a night of excessive drinking. They’d rather get to work early. Do their job. And build a successful career. That is both personally satisfying. And takes care of their family. Something sobriety helps. And our days tend to be easier when they don’t start with a hangover.

Children who never grow up as adults, on the other hand, tend to remain liberal. Focused on the here and now. Without a thought about the future. For them gratification is all that matters. These people tend to keep the wild ways of their youth. And those who go on to college take it up a notch. Away from their parents incessant ‘no’s they can finally say ‘yes’ to everything. And a lot of them do. They’ll get drunk and video things with their smartphones. And upload them to the Internet. The kind of things you once had to go to a pornography store to buy. But they and their friends will post these videos for all the world to see. And these things will still be floating around the Internet years later when they’re saying ‘no’ to their own children. Or interviewing for a job. Jessie Watters on The O’Reilly Factor has interviewed some of these young college students on spring break. Asking them questions about history. International events. Current events at home. And if they could identify members of the Federal government. Few could. Very few. Because they have more pressing things in their lives apparently than getting an education. At least based on what they’re doing with their smartphones.

Democrats only care about the Here and Now and Instant Gratification

Liberal Democrats love these kids. For they know all they want is to have fun. So they become the party of fun. Free birth control. Access to abortion. Decriminalizing marijuana. Anti-religion. No moral absolutes. Anything goes. Even encouraging reckless behavior (they’re going to have sex anyway so we might as well make it easier for them). Veritable anti-parents. Who tell these kids that they (these kids) know what’s best for them. Not their parents. And if they want instant gratification that’s okay. You don’t have to worry about the future because if you vote Democrat that’s something else we’ll do for you besides the birth control, abortion, marijuana and the lack of moral constraints. If you vote Democrat we’ll take care of you from cradle to grave. Just like that The Life of Julia slideshow promised. With so little education, work experience and life experience these kids don’t know any better and say, “Okay. Where do I vote.”

So the Democrats use these kids to stay in office. They know little so it is easy to lie to them. About the ‘evil Republicans’ that are as big a killjoy as their parents. And about how much better the Democrats are going to make their lives. If only they keep voting Democrat. So they do. Because the Democrats offer everything an irresponsible adult could want. Which is a shame as a lot of what the Democrats offer is bad for the rest of us. And the country. Their Keynesian economics fails over and over yet they keep using these failed policies of the past. Putting the country further into debt. And further depreciating the dollar. They lie to these kids about global warming. Allowing the Democrats to remain in power and pass crippling regulations. Threatening the coal industry. As well as increasing our energy costs. They want to raise the minimum wage for unskilled, entry-level jobs. Reducing the number of entry level jobs available for those looking to enter the workforce. And they want to take over our health care. The best health care system in the world. Replacing it with something not as good and more costly.

But these grand domestic plans require a lot of money. Which they often get from gutting the defense budget. Weakening our military (something they never liked to begin with) to free up money for buying votes (i.e., spending) elsewhere. They help justify this with a horrible foreign policy. Instead of peace through (costly) strength they choose a ‘please like us’ foreign policy. Marginalizing American Exceptionalism. Being kind to our enemies. And leaving our allies doubting our commitments. But if our enemies like us we won’t need a large military anymore. Allowing them to use those defense dollars elsewhere. And how has that been working out? Not good. Since the ‘please like us’ foreign policy juggernaut Egypt is in chaos. Syria is in a bitter civil war. Iran is developing a nuclear bomb. Israel is feeling abandoned. Al Qaeda is taking over Libya and Iraq. The Taliban will return to Afghanistan once the U.S. leaves. North Korea is test-firing ballistic missiles. And Vladimir Putin is restoring the Soviet Union. Because he can. Thanks to America’s new ‘please like us’ foreign policy. Instead of the peace through strength of previous presidents. Like Ronald Reagan. And JFK.

There’s something else children who never grow up do. Go into politics. Into the Democrat Party. Not the Republican Party. The party the Democrats derisively call the party of ‘no’. They join the Democrat Party. And do all of the things that give us the worst economic recovery since that following the Great Depression. And a more dangerous world. Despite this they still want to do more. Without caring what their actions may do to our future. Just like children. All they care about is the here and now. And instant gratification. So of course the Republicans are the party of ‘no’ because that’s what grownups say to children. ‘No’.

Fundamental Truth

Lawyers make a lot of Money without Contributing anything Tangible to Society

An attorney was sitting in his office late one night when Satan appeared before him. Satan said, “I have a proposition for you. You can win every case you try for the rest of your life. Your clients will adore you, your colleagues will stand in awe of you and you will make embarrassing sums of money. All I want in exchange is your soul, your wife’s soul, your children’s souls, the souls of your parents, grandparents, parents-in-law, the souls of all your friends and law partners.” The lawyer thought about this for a moment then asked, “So, what’s the catch?”

That’s funny, isn’t it? Lawyers. Ambulance chasers. The butt of so many jokes. Why? Well, some will say they deserve it. Because they do chase ambulances. And will pass out their business cards if they’re on a sinking ship. Because sinking ships are good for lawsuits. And lawyers love to sue. For they can make a lot of money without contributing anything tangible to society. All they do is get between two parties when large sums of money change hands. And put a portion of that money into their pockets. That’s how they earn their living. Taking money away from others. They’re parasites. Just to get rich. And the big tort lawyers (those who sue people and businesses) get really rich. Allowing them to live very privileged lives.

Take a class action lawsuit. Where they bring a lot of wronged people together to sue a large corporation. The old David and Goliath thing. A little person can never take on a big corporation. But a whole class of them can. When represented by a tort lawyer. Who liken themselves as heroes of the little guy. Taking the big corporation on to make them pay for all the horrible things they’ve done to their clients. But who do they really help? Let’s say they win a judgment from a big corporation of $250,000,000. That’s a lot of money. From that sum they take their cut. Let’s say 50%. Leaving $125 million for the people the corporation wronged. That’s a lot of money. So the people won, too, right? Not really. For there are a lot of people represented in these class actions. Let’s say 5 million in our example. So if you divide the $125 million by 5 million that comes to $25 per person. So, again, who did the lawyers really help? The lawyers. Which is why there are so many lawyer jokes.

In the Private Sector if you want to spend Half of your Life Retired you have to Pay for It

Lawyers vote Democrat. Because they like being privileged people. They don’t want the laws changing that allow them to get so rich when money exchanges hands. Which is why they donate heavily to the Democrat Party. And don’t donate to the Republicans. Who complain about the high costs of frivolous lawsuits to businesses in an overly litigious society. It’s so bad that a footnote in the financial statements of a corporation about a lawsuit is not that big of a deal. Why? Because so many corporations are sued that investors are more surprised to see one that isn’t being sued. This is why Republicans want tort reform. And pass ‘loser-pays’ into law. Like many other countries have. Where the loser in court pays for the attorney fees for the side that wins. Which would greatly cut down on frivolous lawsuits. And cut the costs businesses incur from these frivolous lawsuits that they pass on to their customers. So the lawyers donate to Democrats. To prevent any tort reform that would change the easy way lawyers have of getting rich.

It’s the world’s oldest profession. Screwing people for money. But lawyers aren’t the only ones seeking privilege. There are a lot of others, too. Interestingly, they, too, support the Democrat Party. Such as the United Autoworkers. They donate heavily to the Democrat Party to keep labor laws favorable to unions. To make it more difficult for their nonunion competition. And to use the power of government to force people to pay may for a union-made car. Allowing their union members to live better lives than those outside of the UAW. And when even that doesn’t allow General Motors to pay its bills when selling a record number of cars the UAW goes to government for a bailout of their woefully underfunded pension fund. So their union members can continue to have a more generous retirement at an earlier age than those outside of the UAW.

Teacher unions seek privilege, too. You hear a lot about how the teachers don’t earn that much. But then again, they don’t work that much. Getting 3 months off in the summer. So you can’t compare their wages to people who don’t get the 3 summer months off. But for teachers it’s not so much about the paycheck. It’s the benefits. Very generous health insurance coverage. And pensions. Which have gone the way of the dodo in the private sector. Because people are just living too long into retirement. When they first set up these pensions people were dying in their sixties. The actuaries never saw people living into their eighties as common. So in the private sector if you want to spend half of your life retired you have to pay for it. And you work as long as necessary to fund the retirement you want. The union pensions just can’t work these days as they once did. Which is why teacher unions like the United Autoworkers and lawyers support the Democrat Party. They want to keep their privileged lives.

The Wealth Transfers of the Welfare State give Democrats Money and Privilege

Of course privilege is nothing new to the Democrat Party. They have long stood for privilege. Even now. As the Democrats provide themselves all kinds of exceptions from the Affordable Care Act. For more expensive and lower quality health insurance is good for the masses. But not for the privileged elite. Or their special friends who support them so generously with campaign donations. Congress has had a history of exempting themselves from the laws they pass for us. It took the Republican winning of the House in the 1994 midterm elections to change that. The first Republican-controlled House since 1952 required Congress to be held to the same laws as the rest of us. A bitter pill for Democrats to swallow. For their feelings of privilege go way back.

The Democrat Party can trace its pedigree back to Thomas Jefferson’s Democratic-Republican Party. The party of the slave-owning planter elite. Who from day one fought for their privilege starting with the Three-Fifths Compromise. To give them a greater say in the new national government than their voting population allowed. The planter elite’s South turned into an Old World aristocracy. With great manors for the landed aristocracy. And vast lands worked by slaves. Very similar to feudalism in the Old World. And something they fought hard to keep. Their privilege. The Southern Democrats used the power of the national government (such as the Fugitive Slave Act) to interfere with state laws in the North. To protect their feudalism by keeping slavery legal as long as they could while the north was industrializing and modernizing. With paid laborers. When they lost control of the House due to the growing population in the North they turned to war. Saying that the national government was interfering with state laws in the South. And getting poor southern farmers who owned no slaves to fight and die so the southern aristocracy could live on.

When the Southern Democrats lost the American Civil War they scrambled to maintain their privilege. They unleashed a terror on the freed slaves and Republicans with the KKK. The Democrats then wrote Jim Crowe Laws. Separate but equal. Government-enforced racial segregation. During debate of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Democrat and former Exalted Cyclops of the KKK Robert Byrd filibustered for 14 hours. To keep the South segregated. With power and privilege in a new aristocracy. Centered not on land but political power and cronyism. Even becoming the party for blacks as ironic as that is. Trading government programs for votes. And destroying the black family in the process. Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) replaced black fathers with government. And moved single mothers and their children into housing projects that became infested with drugs and crime. But this large (and failed) welfare state transferred a lot of wealth to the Democrats. Giving them money and privilege. That they can use to maintain their power. By taking care of those who take care of them. Lawyers, the UAW, teacher unions and other privilege seekers. For nothing has changed on the left. They have been and always will be an aristocratic-thinking, privilege-seeking people who want to live better than the rest of us. While we pay for their privileged lives.

Fundamental Truth

Rich People become Liberals so People don’t Shame them for their Obscene Wealth

Rich people love being rich. They love their mansions. Their expensive cars. Eating at the finest restaurants. Drinking the finest wine. Going on lavish vacations. Going to the best parties. Hanging with the beautiful people. And rich men especially like the sex with beautiful young women their wealth can make happen. To quote the Eagles song Life in the Fast Lane rich people love having everything all of the time.

Some of the richest people in the United States are liberals. Yes, those same people who argue for income and wealth equality. Hollywood stars. Televisions stars. Authors. And music stars. Who are everything they stand against. They’re part of that evil 1%. And they live very ostentatious lives. Their wealth is over the top. Bling. Cars. Cars with bling. Nothing but the best. And then some. This wealth is okay, though. But those in the 1% other than them? Government should raise their taxes to take as much of it away as possible. And we should all shame them for daring to have such obscene wealth.

Of course, rich liberals like their obscene wealth. They want to keep it. And they want to continue their lavish lives. But they don’t want people shaming them. They want people to love them and adore them. So they buy whatever they’re selling. Movies, televisions shows, books or music. They don’t want anyone shaming them for their obscene wealth. So they do something very simple to avoid that shame. They become public liberals.

Only those Businesses that Continually Please their Customers Succeed

Liberals can have the most obscene amounts of wealth without anyone shaming them for that obscene wealth. Why? Because they belong to the ‘right’ political party. The one that argues against income and wealth inequality. So they get a pass. Which is why so many rich people are liberals. They want to be left alone. And their call for higher taxes on rich people? Well, they’re so rich that they can hire the best accountants and tax attorneys to help them shield their wealth from the taxman. There’s a reason why the tax code is so convoluted and not a simple flat tax like conservatives want. To help rich liberals keep their money.

Then there are rich liberals who have too much of a conscious. And they feel guilty for having obscene wealth. But not guilty enough to give their wealth away. These liberals are vehemently pro big government. They want a massive welfare state. To assuage their wealth guilt. So they can continue to enjoy their obscene wealth. Their 1% wealth. Without having to feel guilty about it. Such as, presumably, The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart.

Jon Stewart is a very well-read and intelligent man. He knows a lot of stuff. Unfortunately, though, he draws many wrong conclusions with that knowledge. He favors big government. And a vast welfare state to help those in need. He trusts government while distrusting corporations and businesses. Because, as he has said, we have no vote with corporations and businesses like we do with government. Via elections. But he’s wrong. We do have a vote with all corporations and businesses. The moment they stop treating their customers right those customers go to other corporations and businesses. Most new businesses fail within 5 years. And some big companies that have been around for years fail and go out of business. Why? Because their customers DO have a large vote in whether they succeed or not. And only those businesses that continually please their customers succeed. Something you just can’t say about government. For no matter how much they anger the people little ever changes.

Not only is there Income and Wealth Inequality there’s also Income Tax Inequality

Fox News has been talking about people scamming the welfare state. Highlighting a surfer dude in California as a typical welfare cheat. Stewart lambasted Fox News for that. Saying one person (or two or three, etc.) does not mean all people on welfare are gaming the system. Although he uses that very logic to point at corporations caught in wrong-doing. Saying they represent all corporations and businesses. And he joins the choir about how rich corporations and rich people are not paying their fair share of taxes. And how some of these rich corporations and rich people are hiding their income and wealth from the taxman. Despite their paying the lion’s share of all taxes.

According to the National Taxpayer’s Union, when it comes to income taxes it’s rich people paying the most. So not only is there income and wealth inequality. There’s also income tax inequality. Through recent years the top 1% of income earners has paid approximately a third of all income taxes. The top 5% has paid more than half of all income taxes. And the top 10% of income earners has paid about 70% of all income taxes. While the bottom 50% of income earners, the people rich liberals want to help, pay about 3% (or less) of all income taxes.

You don’t have to raise tax rates on the wealthy. They’re already paying a disproportionate share of all income taxes. In fact, if you cut tax rates and cut business regulations to help rich business and rich people get even richer more tax revenue would flow into the treasury. This would be a good thing. Rich people getting richer. And more people becoming rich. This should be what everyone wants. Based on the amount of taxes rich people pay. So we should stop trying to help the less fortunate by raising taxes on the rich. And creating more onerous regulations for businesses that benefit the less fortunate. Like Obamacare. For it hurts the profit incentive. Which prevents rich people from getting richer and paying more income taxes. As well as dissuades people from becoming business owners or expanding their businesses. Which means fewer jobs. Fewer hours in those jobs. And the replacement of costly people with machines. It’s because of these things that median family income has fallen under the Obama administration. Which is the last thing any good liberal should want. This is why rich liberals have got to stop supporting a large welfare state to assuage their wealth guilt. It’s killing the middle class. And destroying the jobs that could pull the less fortunate into the middle class. And beyond.

Fundamental Truth

The Roman Empire survived for about 1500 Years

The Roman Empire was one of the greatest empires of all time. It lasted some 500 years in the West. And another thousand years in the East. Give or take. As empires go they don’t come much bigger. Or last longer. The Romans ruled the world. It stretched from Northern Africa to Britain. And from Spain to the Middle East. It was huge.

There have been bigger empires. The British Empire. The Mongol Empire. The Russian Empire. The Spanish Empire. And others. But none of them lasted as long as the 1500 years of the Roman Empire. The British Empire lasted about 400 years. The Mongol Empire lasted about 50 years. The Russian Empire lasted about 200 years. And the Spanish Empire lasted about 500 years. Adolf Hitler said the Third Reich would last a thousand years. But it lasted only 12. Proving that empire building—and empire maintaining—are easier said than done.

Yet the Romans did it for 1500 years. Give or take. So they knew a thing or two about empire building. And maintaining that empire. Yet even this mighty empire fell. Why? Historians still debate this question today. As do the laymen. With a person’s political persuasion sometimes determining what they believe.

A Debased Coin and High Taxes made the Roman Citizenry very Unhappy

Empires are costly. As Rome built her empire she paid for it by conquering new lands. So as her borders pushed out treasure flowed back the other way to Rome. Which paid for her massive military. And her massive bureaucracy to govern that sprawling empire. So the Roman people went about their business. Shielded from the cost of empire. Farming and taking their goods to market. Safe within their empire. For her enemies were outside the borders of the empire. And those borders were pushed a very long way out.

But then something happened. Those borders stopped moving. They were not conquering new lands. And there was no more treasure flowing back to Rome. Which was a problem. For the Roman Empire covered a lot of land that they had to govern. And defend. So the cost of the Roman Empire was never higher than when her borders stopped pushing out. While her revenue to pay for that empire was never smaller. So they had to do something. And that something was taxes. Lots of them. All of a sudden the Roman citizenry was feeling the cost of their bloated bureaucratic state. And the cost of that massive military that defended the frontier.

So taxes soared. Making the Roman citizenry unhappy. But the tax revenue proved to be insufficient. So they started debasing their currency. Adding more and more lead to their silver coins. But not their gold coins. For they used gold to pay the military and to pay the government bureaucrats. So they only debased the silver coin. The coin of the Roman citizenry. Which, of course, resulted in inflation. As the coins had less and less silver in them they bought less and less. So prices soared. As did taxes. Making the Roman citizenry very unhappy.

The Cost of Mercenaries and the Roman Bureaucracy and Welfare State bankrupted the Roman Empire

So the Romans started building things to entertain the people. And they grew a welfare state to help feed those who could not afford to buy food. Public works and the new welfare state may have eased some of the animosity towards the state. But it only increased the costs of the state. Requiring higher taxes. So high that people lost money on their farms and businesses. So they quit. Causing food and goods shortages. So the Romans passed laws forcing them to stay in their jobs. And forcing their children to do the same work their parents did. Which eventually evolved into feudalism.

Eventually the Roman citizenry no longer wanted to serve the empire. Leading to the use of mercenary armies. Which were costly. And only increased the cost of empire. With the silver coin so debased the Roman government would not even accept it in payment of taxes. So the government took a portion of the food grown and goods made. Making it more difficult to pay for the welfare state (just imagine your employer paying you in food, toilet paper, soap, etc.). And the mercenary armies guarding the frontier. Which could prove troublesome. As they had no loyalties to the Roman Empire. They were just hired muscle. Their blood loyalties were often to people on the other side of the border they were guarding. Having come from those people.

So the massive cost of hired mercenaries and the massive cost of the Roman bureaucracy and welfare state basically bankrupted the Roman Empire. Of course the American left prefers not to think about this. As they are very fond of their large welfare state. So some on the left often cite the decadence of the Roman Empire that caused her fall. They talk about the feasts, the drink, the gladiators, the orgies and other acts of debauchery that caused a societal decay that eroded the empire from within. Even while they are in the business of societal decay themselves. Free birth control, abortion on demand, the decriminalization of marijuana, the rejection of virtue and morality, their extreme secularism to remove any vestige of restraint from their lives of excess, etc. The kind of things a debauched Roman citizenry no doubt would have enjoyed. So either way the Roman Empire fell because of principles the American left embraces. Which means if liberals keep winning elections the United States will fall like the Roman Empire.

Fundamental Truth

You can call a Man Fatso but not a Woman because of the Double Standard when it comes to being Fat

Back when David Letterman was on NBC and the show was called Late Night with David Lettermen they had an old football player on one night. I think he was a defensive linesman or a linebacker. Who played football before there was money in playing football. Back then it was just guys playing a game hard and then getting drunk afterwards.

On this episode of Late Night this football player was telling a story about one game. It was late in the fourth quarter. The score was already decided. Nothing could happen to change who was going to win the game. But the other team was still playing hard. Trying to win. So after one play he wandered over and entered the other team’s huddle and said something like, “Come on, guys. Let’s just wrap this up and go get some beers already.” At which point one of his teammates yelled over to him from the other huddle, “Hey fatso! You’re in the wrong huddle.”

“Hey fatso! You’re in the wrong huddle.” It’s funny. For that’s the way guys are. They hurl insults at each other. And if you were a heavy guy there was nothing wrong with calling you ‘fatso’. It’s the way men joke around. It doesn’t work with women, though. If you have an overweight female coworker and you address her as fatso you’ll find yourself in sensitivity awareness training. Or fired. Because there is a double standard when it comes to being fat. You can call a man fatso. But not a woman.

Anyone espousing Keynesian Policies should be Criticized for they are doing Harm to the Economy

The political opposition and the main stream media treat President Obama with kid gloves. They will not attack him. Or even criticize his policies. Because President Obama is the first black president. And the political opposition and the mainstream media are terrified that someone will call them racist if they do. They fear that so much they’d rather see the economy collapse from his Keynesian economic policies than risk being called a racist.

President Obama is a Keynesian. Like most people in Washington making policy are. Which is a shame. As the historical record clearly shows these policies fail. But our politicians still manipulate interest rates. And spend money. Believing in the fallacy of demand-side economics. Which didn’t work to end the Great Depression. It only made the stagflation of the Seventies worse. It created a dot-com bubble and a dot-com recession. And it created a housing bubble and a subprime mortgage crisis. Giving us the Great Recession. And further Keynesian policies on top of these past failed policies have given us the worst economic recovery since that following the Great Depression.

So anyone espousing Keynesian policies should be attacked and criticized. For they are doing harm to the economy. And the country. Which is why the Democrats love President Obama. (Well, at least before Obamacare threatened their reelection chances). Because they can have him do all the things they want to do. Manipulate interest rates. Keep them near zero. By printing money. And then borrow even more money at those near-zero interest rates. Allowing the government to go on an orgy of spending. That’s why they love President Obama. (Well, at least before Obamacare threatened their reelection chances). For if anyone criticizes this reckless and irresponsible policy they can just label them a racist. And they immediately shut up. Just knowing this keeps people from speaking up in the first place.

It’s easier to Lie when you can Scare away Criticism with Charges of Racism or Sexism

But the political opposition and the mainstream media have no problem calling Governor Christie a fat man. Christie is not black. A woman. Or a Democrat. So he’s fair game. They can make the most vile fat slurs with him and it’s okay. Fatso. Fat-ass. Whatever. They don’t call it hateful. They just laugh. And pile on. They’ll even go so far as to call him a fat elephant on the cover of Time Magazine. Putting a very large profile of him that takes up most of the cover and call him the elephant in the room (a GOP reference). Because it’s okay to call him fat-ass and every other possible fat slur you can think of. But do you know who you can’t call fat? Hillary Clinton.

Should Hillary Clinton run for president again the political opposition and the mainstream media will treat her with kid gloves. They won’t call her fatso. Or fat-ass. Because that wouldn’t be nice. It’s okay to use those invectives against Governor Christie. (Just take the Christie fat slurs and replace his name with hers and see the kind of reactions you get). But if you dare use that tone with Hillary Clinton they will label you a sexist. Accuse you of being afraid of strong women (but not so strong as to be able to put up with fat jokes like Governor Christie). Proof that there is a Republican war on women. And should she win the presidency there will be little criticism of her policies. Because no one wants to be labeled a sexist. Or be accused of being afraid of strong women. Especially with the first female president. So she will get a pass on most everything she does. Like President Obama. Despite being as deserving of attacks and criticism. For she is a Keynesian, too.

With only 23% of the nation identifying as liberal the left has trouble passing their liberal policies. So they lie, of course. A lot. And it’s easier to lie when you can scare away criticism with charges of racism. Or sexism. Which is why they like President Obama so much. (Well, at least before Obamacare threatened their reelection chances). He was the first black president. Which made it harder for some to criticize him. Which helped make the lying easier. So they will most likely try to follow this strategy. Perhaps with Hillary Clinton. Who may be the first female president. Following that with other ‘firsts’. Until the opposition and the mainstream media learn that criticizing a woman’s policies doesn’t make you a sexist. Or afraid of strong women. It just means you’re criticizing a person with bad policies who happens to be a woman. Just as they will be able to criticize a black president one day.